Term 3 – Welcome Back

Dear Dads, Mams, Pupils and Staff,

It is great to be back at school for Term 3. This time last year, we had to stay at home during the first lockdown. With your help, we can make it safely to the end of this school year and enjoy most of the things that we usually do in the final term. We might have to do them differently, but if we have learned anything during Covid-19, it is how to find creative ways to get things done.

Schools may be open, but we still need to be careful, so your support is very important. The girls are being absolute superheroes while they are at school – keeping their hands clean, keeping their distance, and remembering how to sneeze or cough into their elbows.

Mams and Dads, we need you to be superheroes too. Please stay in your cars at drop off or pick up times, keep your distance if you are walking and please, please, please remember to wear a mask.

We have come so far and done so well, so let’s stick together to make it safely to the end of June.

Yours sincerely,

C. O’Reilly – Principal

Thank You

Thank you very much for sending back the girls’ ‘Return to School Forms’. We had a great response through the link on the Text-a-Parent App. We will continue to use the App after longer breaks from school so if you have not already downloaded it, please do so for your own convenience. It is free and is available for both Android and Apple devices. https://app.textaparent.ie/get/app

Ramadan Mubarak!

At this time, some of our families are celebrating the Holy Month of Ramadan which began earlier this week. Ramadan is a holy month celebrated by Muslims around the world.

It is believed to be the month in which the Qur’an (the religious text of Islam) was revealed.

Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar when the first sliver of the crescent moon appears. The Islamic calendar is lunar, not solar, so Ramadan begins on a different date each year.

Ramadan is a quiet, reflective time of worship, prayer, helping others, and spending time with loved ones.

Many Muslims fast during Ramadan, not eating or drinking anything between sunrise and sunset. Fasting reminds Muslims to appreciate their blessings and to help those in need. Families get up for an early meal called suhoor before the sun rises and the fast is broken with an evening meal after the sun sets called iftar.

Sadaqah, or good deeds, are important parts of the holy month. Donating food, clothing, money, and time, picking up trash, helping the elderly, or planting a tree are just some of the ways to show kindness and generosity.

We wish all our families who are celebrating this month a blessed and holy Ramadan – Ramadan Mubarak!

A Busy School

Now that our lovely new classroom is finished, we are moving on to other projects inside the building. Over the Easter break, the photocopying room was cleaned out, and Mark put in some new shelving. The storage space under the stairs is currently being cleared and you will have to wait and see what great plans we have for that space! Fifth Class has moved upstairs. Their new room was deep cleaned and sanitised over Easter and they are delighted with their new home. Now that Fifth Class has moved, we can start planning on refurbishing the room that is fondly known as ‘The Kitchen’. It will become the staff room and the current staff room will become a new Learning Support Room.

It is always wonderful to be able to upgrade and improve the facilities in the school for the children and we are fortunate to have the support and encouragement of our Board of Management in making Our Lady of Good Counsel the best it can be.

Run around Ireland

We are currently taking part in the Run Around Ireland initiative. The girls walk or run to visit the landmark sights of Ireland. These places are displayed on the landing. On the last count, the girls had clocked up 1090 km and had landed at the Cliffs of Moher. Keep up the great work!

Hi- Vis Jackets

Can I please remind everyone to wear their hi-vis jackets coming to school. The roads have become very busy over the last few weeks and we want to keep all our lovely girls safe. There will be a competition for the best class in the next few weeks.

Collaborative Art

Before Easter, each child in the school decorated a feather with words and art to describe her feelings about lockdowns and returning to school. All the feathers have been put together now and we have a beautiful piece of collaborative artwork displayed on the Landing. Well done girls – your thoughts and reflections can teach all of us how to be resilient and hopeful.

He will cover you with His feathers,

and under His wings you will find refuge.

Psalm 91

Our Lady of Good Counsel

April 26th is a very special day for our school. It is the feast day of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Our Lady of Good Counsel watches over our school and she also watches over all of us.

The picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel shows Mary holding her son, the baby Jesus. The story of the original painting of Our Lady of Good Counsel goes back to the 15th Century.

At that time, the people in a small town near Rome were building a new church. On April 25th, everyone gathered in the town square to celebrate the Feast of Saint Mark. At about four o’clock in the afternoon, in the middle of all the celebrations, the crowd saw a cloud coming down over the unfinished church. The bells of the church began to ring by themselves and beautiful music was heard. The crowd fell silent, and the cloud parted.  There was the picture of Our Lady. The painting came to rest in the church and if you visit the town of Genazzano, Italy you can still see it there today.

The painting was named after the church and became known as Our Lady of Good Counsel.

A Mhuire na Dea-Chomhairle, guí orainn.